Tips for De-cluttering Your Home with Less Impact on the Environment

Going "Green" has because all the rage for a very good reason. People are finally realizing that we need to have less of a negative impact on the environment in order to save our planet for future generations. Choosing to Green Clean your home is a great way to do your part in helping our environment.

One of the first steps people take towards having a clean, organized home is to get rid of some of the clutter they have lying around. Our first instinct, is often to just toss it into the trash. This however, is creating an obscene amount of garbage being tossed into our landfills daily. There are however, many different options available to you to get rid of that clutter, and help the environment at the same time.

When you choose to Green Clean, you not only are doing your part is saving the environment, but you also have the opportunity to help those in need, by giving away the things that you no longer want. Wow! Talk about having something to feel good about at the end of the day!

Used Clothing and Household Items

There are many options available for getting rid of used clothing and household items without simply throwing them away. Household items can be anything from cookware and cooking utensils, to furniture and decorations that you are just tired of looking at.

Goodwill or the Salvation Army is generally the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to getting rid of used items. The good thing about these organizations is that many times, they will be willing to come and pick the items up directly from your home. Many people however, are uncomfortable giving to these organizations, because the feel as though people in need should not have to pay for these items in the Goodwill or Salvation Army stores.

For those people, there are other options available. A very popular online community called Freecycle.com is a great way to get rid of used items. Freecycle.com is free to use, and the only stipulation is that all items you list on their websites must be free. Freecycle is broken down into local communities, and even if there is not a local chapter in your area, you have the ability to start one of your own. Freecyle is a great way to Green Clean and get rid of that clutter and help people find things that they need.

There are other places you can donate your used items to as well. You can try calling your local fire stations and see if they accept donations. Many fire stations except donations to help replace families household items and clothing that have been lost in house fires. You can also try checking with local mens or womens shelters or orphanages and see if they are in need of the items that you have.

Paper Items

Paper items are one of the easiest items to get rid of, and one of the largest sources of trash there is. Paper items are extremely easy to get rid of in a "Green" way. Books, magazines, newspapers and junk mail can all be recycled. An easy way to save these items for recycling without cluttering your home is to place them all in a large box. Find someplace out of the way, such as a spare room or closet, and place a box there that you can throw all of your paper in until it is time to recycle.

If you have an extremely large collection of magazines or books, you can check with local schools and see if the might be interested in them. Many schools use magazines for art projects and may be glad to take them off your hands. If you have a garden, you can use any black and white paper (such as newspaper) as a garden mulch. Since the paper is biodegradable, it will simply just break back down into the earth.

Try Ebay

If you have the time, and don't mind a little effort, you can try listing some of your items on Ebay. With the right ad, you can sell almost anything on Ebay. You probably don't want to list any extremely large items on there, but small items such as figurines, collections or clothing will more than likely sell quite well. Not only will you be getting rid of stuff in a "Green" way, but you will be making money too!

There will of course be some items that you just can't get rid of in an environmentally friendly way, that are going to end up in the trash can. Even if you have to throw certain things away, make sure that you still try and help the environment by properly disposing of certain items such as batteries, televisions and incandescent light bulbs, that should not be placed in our landfills due to the chemicals they contain.

Remember, the trash that you throw away today, will impact your children's' tomorrow.